Cairns sporting fans now have a new team to barrack for with the FNQ Fusion revealed as one of eight sides in a new intra-state T20 cricket challenge competition. The Queensland Rail Bulls Masters T20 Country Challenge will feature seven regional teams as well as an eighth team from Papua New Guinea.Bulls Masters managing director Jimmy Maher said the new competition would be a tremendous boost for both cricketers and the cricket-loving public in the Far North."It's a new tier that gives country guys a real opportunity," he said."For the younger guys, it's a chance to impress selectors."But for the older guys … they know they can play a few good games and then they're going to the Gabba."Queensland's Test match venue will host the final of the inaugural Country Challenge as a curtain raiser to the Brisbane Heat's KFC T20 Big Bash League clash against the Perth Scorchers on December 18.

o get there, the FNQ Fusion must progress from a northern conference round robin tournament to be held in Mackay on September 29/30.

Other teams they'll play are the North Queensland Monsoons, Central Queensland Seamers and Mackay/Whitsunday Nitros.At the same time, a southern conference round robin series (featuring the Wide Bay Flames, Darling Downs Suns, South-East Queensland Stormers and Papua New Guinea Hebou Barramundis) will be played in Bundaberg.Each side will comprise a Queensland Rail Bulls Master acting as a player and mentor."Where possible that will be a player who hails from that region," Maher said."I loved getting the chance to represent Cricket Far North as a teenager, and I know a lot of our guys would relish the chance to go back and play for their home regions again."The Sheffield Shield-winning skipper said the chance for young cricketers to learn from more experienced teammates was one that had diminished in recent seasons."As a 19-year-old coming into the Bulls, I learnt so much from the likes of Border, Healy, Rackemann and Tazelaar," he said."Similarly growing up in the Far North, I picked up a lot from watching Terry Clark, Ted Jellich and Joey James."An added carrot for players is the chance to be selected in a Country Inferno side to play in the KFC T20 Challenge against three sides from Brisbane's Premier Grade competition.Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat coach Darren Lehmann said the Heat would be keeping a close watch on the tournament ahead of the T20 Challenge."We saw some exciting talent exposed in last year's KFC Big Bash and having a strong new regional competition feeding into this year's Challenge can only provide more exposure and opportunity for country players, because we know the talent is out there," he said.Maher said the Country Challenge could develop into a state league with a home and away series and refused to rule out Cairns as a future venue."It's fantastic for country cricket and it’s great for the Far North to get a team that they can call their own," he said. The Cairns